Fitz-James O'Brien lived only 33 years -- from 1828 till 1862 -- but in his brief life he left a mark that endures today. O'Brien endures because he was a remarkable writer. Remarkable indeed! He had a way of blending of hard fact with almost-fanciful fantasy, juxtaposing technology and mysticism, creating convincing and "scientific" settings that play against the otherworldly romance. For all the weird fancifulness -- these days O'Brien is read mostly as a successor to Poe -- his work has qualities we now associate with science fiction: O'Brien clearly researched the field of microscopy before he wrote _The Diamond Lens_; it reads in places like hard SF.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile Peek into a Forebear of Science Fiction,
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This review is from: The Diamond Lens and Other Strange Tales (Paperback)
Fitz-James O'Brien is less known a name than Edgar Allan Poe or H.P. Lovecraft, yet it should not be overlooked. In prose and verse the Irish-American who bore this name was an accomplished writer. He combined fantastic creations with the new technology contemporary to his age. For good reason he is considered a precursor of science fiction.
The Diamond Lens, the major work in the book, explores the vices of greed, obsession, infatuation, irresponsibility and duplicity in man. The work raises ethical questions pertaining to scientific advances. For example, is the loss of innocent human life ever justifiable for the advancement of science? Mr. Linley, the main character of the Diamond Lens, kills a Jew. He justifies his action by claiming it was done in the "interests of science." In this, Fitz-James is prescient, recalling in the minds of moderns the horrors of the concentration camps. While this slim volume is in itself not the best of 19th century American fiction, it gives a survey of the themes upon which subsequent, better-known, authors would draw.
1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
only one great,
By jan erik storebø (norway) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Diamond Lens and Other Strange Tales (Paperback)
this collection contains one great story: what was it?. diamond lens has a good start, build up nicely, but ends up being mediocre. none of the other stories are really wort mentioning.
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